Gartner: Only 3% of Companies Beat AI Cost-Saving Targets While 38% Already Blew Their Budgets
Consultancy study reveals 77% of boards expect productivity gains, but misalignment among leaders and the difficulty of turning saved time into innovation are stalling financial returns
The promise that artificial intelligence would elevate corporate productivity and reduce operational costs remains far from the financial reality of many organizations. Data released by Gartner reveals that only 3% of companies managed to exceed their cost-saving targets through productivity gains with AI.
The figure stands in direct contrast to boardroom expectations: around 77% of executives expected the technology to increase productivity and reduce expenses. At the same time, 38% of companies have already spent more on AI than planned, and 85% intend to increase investments in the technology in 2027.
The misalignment among leaders
According to the consultancy, one of the main difficulties lies in the lack of consensus within companies themselves. A survey conducted in July with 297 human resources directors showed that 78% of leaders are not aligned on where AI actually generates value.
The scenario reinforces findings from other studies. In February, Tecnoblog reported that more than 80% of companies had also failed to register productivity gains from the technology. Costs, meanwhile, are beginning to weigh: executives struggle to understand and forecast spending on AI tools, mainly because of billing models based on token consumption.
The saved time that does not become innovation
Another problem highlighted by the consultancy is turning extra productivity into real growth. In a survey of 1,865 workers, Gartner found that only 21% of the time freed up by AI use was redirected to activities considered innovative.
For Gartner senior director analyst CV Viverito, companies are already able to free up some employee capacity by automating tasks. The difficulty lies in using that time to develop new products, services, or other revenue sources.
What the consultancy recommends
Given this scenario, Gartner recommends that organizations concentrate investments in areas where the technology can truly generate value, distribute knowledge about AI across different teams, and redesign roles taking the new tools into account.
The conclusion is that the problem is not AI's technical ability to automate tasks, but the absence of a clear strategy to convert operational efficiency into measurable financial results.